1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for controlling a leaf or panel of a side-hung casement door or French window opening to the outside, which comprises a casing secured to the bottom sill of the fixed frame and adapted to house a mechanism actuated by means of a crank for controlling the rotation of an operating arm provided at its end with a roller engaging a guide rail fixed to the movable frame of the door or window.
This invention is applicable notably in the housing industry, more particularly and advantageously to the frame of a casement door or window opening to the outside, such as the so-called French window.
2. The Prior Art
Devices permitting of controlling the opening and closing of the leaf of a casement door or window from the fixed frame are used chiefly in countries where the degree of atmospheric humidity is particularly high during certain periods of the year. In fact, under these conditions, dwellers are compelled to line all the glazed surfaces with mosquito-netting to prevent these frequently abundant flying insects from penetrating into their houses. Now, since French windows open to the outside, such mosquito-netting can only be fitted on the inner side of the door or window. As a rule, mosquito-nettings consist of screen having a relatively aerated texture to facilitate the air circulation while preventing the passage of the flying insects through the netting. On the other hand, this screen is usually kept taut in an auxiliary frame secured to the dormant of the door or window.
Since such mosquito-nettings are useful only during one period in the year, in most cases they can be removed from the door or window frame. However, to avoid successive fittings and removals of the mosquito-nettings each time the casement leaf is to be closed or opened, the doors or windows are provided with a control device permitting the remote control of the casement leaf, notably from the lower sill of the frame. Besides, during those periods in which flying insects are particularly abundant, it is preferably to avoid removing at any time the mosquito-nettings, otherwise the insects would penetrate in great number into the house.
A device for controlling a side-hung casement door or window leaf opening to the outside and comprising the above-mentioned component elements is already known in the art. Thus, this known control device comprises a fixed casing secured to the bottom sill of the door or window frame, and this casing encloses a mechanism for controlling the rotation of an operating arm pivoting in the casing and connected to the door or window leaf. This mechanism consists essentially of an endless screw driven for rotation by means of a crank and engaging teeth formed on the end of the operating arm in the casing. Due to the mounting of the casing on the bottom sill of the fixed frame, the axis of rotation of the endless screw of this control device is inclined at an angle of about thirty degrees from the horizontal to facilitate the actuation of the crank, so that the window-sill cannot interfere with the free rotation of this crank.
This type of control device is generally associated with a set of compass arms disposed in the fillister of the fixed frame or of the leaf, thus causing this frame or leaf not only to rotate about a vertical axis extending along its rear stile but also to accomplish a movement of translation parallel to the plane of the fixed frame of this axis of rotation of the leaf. The advantage resulting from the combination of these two movements (rotation and translation) lies in the lateral shifting of the rear stile of the door or window leaf with respect to the dormant frame, thus providing a free space permitting the access to the outer glazed surface. This feature is particularly advantageous when the window is located at a certain height above the ground and is therefore difficult to get at for cleaning the glazed surface.
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned interesting features characterising this known controls device, the latter is not free of various inconveniences. Thus, when the mosquito-nettings are removed from the fixed frame, the access to the mechanism and notably to the operating arm of this control device is particularly easy. Now, this accessibility increases considerably the risks of casualties, for example pinching a finger or else, due generally to the user's carelessness.
To avoid this inconvenience, a control device has been devised which, though based substantially on the characteristic features of the above-described system, comprises a mechanism enclosed, together with the control arm, in fillisters of the fixed frame or dormant and of the side-hung casement. However, this type of control device is relatively expensive due to the necessity of effecting an additional machining of the fillisters which is required for housing the various mechanical component elements of the device.
Another inconvenience observed with the known devices for controlling a casement door or window panel opening to the outside is a certain weakness from the point of view of safety in case of house-breaking. In casement doors or windows opening to the inside the panels are provided, in certain cases, with swinging fittings offering the possibility of keeping the panel ajar while preserving a minimum safety against burglars. In contrast thereto, in the case of casement doors or windows swinging to the outside, the mechanical means connecting the control device to the panel concerned when the latter is ajar consists only of the operating arm. Under these conditions, and considering the relatively long lever arm involved, the control device has a limited resistance and would deteriorate rapidly in case of attacks against the front stile of the swinging panel.
The above-mentioned problems can be solved by disposing the control device as close as possible to the front stile of the swinging panel, so as to reduce the lever arm accordingly. Under these conditions, the angle of rotation that could be contemplated for the swinging panel by virtue of this control device would be strongly limited and, in any case, less than ninety degrees.